The Child Poverty Act 2010 enshrined in law the commitment to eradicate child poverty in the UK by 2020 and placed a duty on local authorities to:

•work with relevant agencies and named partners such as: Police, transport authorities, Primary Care Trust, Job Centre Plus - to reduce and mitigate the effects of poverty;

•prepare and publish a local Child Poverty Needs Assessment - to understand the drivers of child poverty and characteristics of those living in poverty;

•prepare and publish a Joint Child Poverty Needs Strategy - setting out the measures the Local Authority and named partners propose to take to reduce and mitigate the effects of child poverty

The Needs Assessment:

•will provide evidence and context for developing a strategic approach to child poverty by providing a deeper understanding of:

•the extent and distribution of child poverty on the Isle of Wight;

•the key drivers and characteristics of families living in poverty;

•the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to tackling child poverty